Time in A Bottle
by Lostineden
Summary: Bill muses over the contents of a box. I'm known as pythiaprophet on SI and these are my stories I just had this account before that one.


Because Ron Moore is Frakken with us and it was late one night and I couldn't get this song out of my head.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bill and Laura because if I did they so would have had a reunion last friday

Big Hug goes out to Sidhe who beta-read and suggested that I write a story based on Jim Croce song Time in a Bottle.

Enjoy

It had happened so fast. They hadn't really expected that once they admitted their love for each other she would be gone within two years.

_Two years. Has it really been that long since I last held you in my arms? That I said I love you?_ Bill Adama thought as he stared down at a photo. Sure, the picture wasn't one of the better ones of them together but Dee had managed to catch them in a tender moment before a press conference. She had her head resting on his shoulder as he read a report to her that day. She had told him that she was tired. So she laid her head down told him not to worry and to read what the press was saying about their sudden secret marriage. He had laughed and planted a kiss on top of her head. It was that moment Dee had captured in time for them to enjoy.

_Damn it Bill, you should have know something was up. But no, you were just too deliriously happy to figure out that the gods decided to play a cruel trick on the both of you._  
………………………….

**Flashback two years ago.**

"You know I love it when you say anarchist," Laura Roslin-Adama teased her husband as he read her yet another press report.

"Oh, you do? Anarchist, how was that?" he questioned, laughing a little.

"Stimulating. However, I think I have a better use for those lips of yours," she said, getting up from her perch on the armchair. She took the report out of his hands and flung it on the coffee table.

"May I ask what you're doing, Mrs. Adama?" he questioned as he watched the sparkle in her eye.

"I'm thinking that I don't get to spend enough time with you," she said, lowering herself onto his lap. She put her hands around his neck and settled her head into the crook of his shoulder.

"Hard day, love?" he asked as he took in her scent. Gods, he loved the way she smelled.

"Hard day would not even begin to describe it," she said. Bill wrapped his arms around her.

"Have I told you how completely in love I am with you?" he asked her as she listened to his heartbeat.

"Five minutes ago," she said playfully. She unwrapped her arms from him and stared him straight in the eyes. "Bill, promise me that you are never going to leave me," she said, suddenly looking terribly vulnerable.

"Laura, what's going on? I won't leave you. You know that no Cylon or press agent is going to drive me away from you, not now, not after everything we've been through. I love you," he said, planting a passionate kiss on her mouth.

"Bill Adama, I don't think I can survive you much longer," Laura said after they pulled away from their kiss. A single tear fell from her eye. He took his thumb and wiped the tear out of her eye.

"Well I'm sorry but you're going to have to spend eternity with me. Because I refuse to give you a divorce," he said playfully.

"Oh really?" she replied, getting up from his lap. She walked over to the comm. "I think I may just call my lawyers right now and see what they have to say about that," she said mockingly.

Bill got up and very quickly picked up his wife and laid her down on the couch. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," he said as he began to plant kisses along her collar bone.

"I think you may be right," she moaned. "Being the Admiral's wife does have certain perks to it."

**End of Flashback.**

"Dad, are you ok?" came the concerned voice of Lee Adama. He walked over to where his father sat. He looked down and saw the picture. He sighed silently to himself. This was clearly one of his father's bad days.

"Oh, Gods, Dad. There was nothing you could have done. Things like this happen. Laura herself even said 'This is bigger than us. This is life.'"

"I know what she said, Lee! I loved her gods damn it," Bill snapped, getting emotional.

"We all loved her, Dad. Kara, me, Dee, even Tigh. We all loved her and we miss her just as much as you do," Lee said putting his arm on his father's shoulder.

"Don't touch me. I murdered her, you know that. I could have stopped it but I didn't. I just stood by and watched," Bill said getting up from his chair. The contents of the box fell on the floor. Lee went to pick them up.

"Don't touch them. They were hers, Lee. Just let them lay there," Bill said as he stood with the empty box in his hands.

"Dad, if you need anything you know where to find me," Lee said, not knowing what more he could do to bring comfort to his father.

**Flashback**

"Bill, it's the only option we have," Laura said,trying to reason with her husband.

"Laura, I cannot honestly say that you think a wedding reception is something you would want to sit through," Bill retorted as he searched for his uniform jacket.

"Here's your jacket," Laura said, taking it off of the hook by their rack. She ran her fingers over the brass. "Here, let me help you put it on," she said, helping him into it. She carefully buttoned it up. As she brushed her hand along his collar, he planted a kiss on her temple.

"Thank you. Now I really have to get to the CIC. Saul will have my ass if I miss another rotation," Bill said.

"Why don't you tell him that you wife requested that you stay in your quarters until a matter of absolute importance was attended to?" Laura suggested playfully, giving him that smile that melted his heart.

"Oh, no I'm not going to fall for that one again," Bill said. He pulled Laura into a hug. "I'll be back in two hours."

"I won't be here when you get back. I have to meet with the Quorum to discuss the finer points of ration distribution. Care to join me?" Laura teasingly asked.

"As intriguing as that sounds, I'll have to pass. I'll see you when you get back, love," Bill said, planting one last kiss on her lips.

"Bill Adama, if you think that kissing me will settle the press then you have another thing coming," he heard as he walked down the hall. He grinned to himself and shook his head at Laura's tenacity.

Bill Adama arrived home to find that he very much missed the constant presence of his wife; true, he had lived alone when he was married to Caroline but this time it was different. He couldn't exactly explain it but he knew that every minute that he couldn't spend in the presence of Laura was a waste of precious time.

He decided to get some of his paperwork done. He knew that when she got back all hell was going to break loose. He had gotten use to her ranting about the Quorum and in a way found her terrible sexy when she was angry. He settled into his routine and didn't hear the hatch close.

"Frakkin Quorum members, frakken press and frak you most of all!" Laura ranted as she came into the alcove where Bill's desk sat. It always irritated her when he didn't look like he was listening to her, even though she knew full well that he was.

"Uh huh," Bill replied finishing off his last report for the night.

"You're not even listening to me. Why don't you go frak yourself then," Laura said as she laid her hands on his desk, carrying out what had become almost a ritual between them.

Bill looked up. "Love, I heard every word. You just basically told the whole democratic system to go frak themselves and I still love you for it," he said, standing up behind the desk and smiling at her. He placed his hands on top of hers.

"Bill?" Laura questioned, knowing fully well that the desk would be cleared of its contents within a matter of seconds.

"Laura," he said, leaning over and kissing her passionately.

"You know were really going to have to stop this," Laura said a good while later, propping her elbow up on the hard desk top. "It's not like we're teenagers anymore. Besides, I'm still nursing the bruise you gave me last time," she said, running her fingers down the scar on his chest.

"Well, maybe if you threw the Quorum out an airlock, you wouldn't be so mad and sexy as hell and I wouldn't have to ravish you when you got back," he teased, planting kisses along her neck.

"Bill," she moaned, "we really need to come to a decision about what to do about the press. They want official word that we are married. We should have realized that we couldn't keep our union secret forever," she said, giving in a little to the passion that stirred inside her.

"I think six months is a pretty good job of not making anything official. But I think it may be time to bite the bullet, so to say, and make the official announcement," he acquiesced.

"Good, I'll talk with Tori tomorrow and see what we can set up. In the meantime I think we may want to move our festivities to a more comfortable place," she said, sliding off the desk. She walked away and cocked her head to the side. "Are you coming?" she asked, reaching out her hand for his.

Two weeks had passed since their last intimate encounter. But Bill had to admit they had both been busy planning their official statement and they had both somehow let Tori convince them that a small reception was in order to celebrate their union.

"Bill, it's not going to be that bad. We go shake a few hands, mingle, say how much in love we are with each other and retreat to our home," Laura said helping Bill button his dress uniform.

"When you say it, it sounds so much easier," Bill joked, kissing her finger tips. "You look beautiful."

"I think this is only the fifth time you've told me that today," she said. There was a knock on the door.

"Madame President, Admiral, they are ready for you," Tori said from the doorway.

"Thank you, Tori. We'll be out in a moment," Laura replied. Tori closed the hatch behind her and waited with the guards.

"So, Mrs. Adama, no giggles this time?" Bill questioned.

"No, Mr. Adama, no giggles for a change. I think we've left them waiting long enough. Let's get this show on the road," Laura said taking her husband's arm. They headed to the reception room and immediately ended up in front of a huge reception line, eagerly awaiting them. They exchanged glances and put their best foot forward, greeting and thanking people as they filed past.

"It's very kind of you to come...Yes, thank you... Bill, could you hold these?" Laura asked, taking a bouquet of pink roses from a person in the greeting line.

"Sure," he said taking them. He had been distracted since they arrived. There were way too many people in the observation deck and someone was going to have KP duty for two months after this whole affair was over with. He watched as Laura walked ahead of him in the line. He smiled as she leaned down to greet one of her former students. She gave the child a hug and took a picture from their hands. She stood and out of know where a man jumped out of the crowd and appeared to embrace the president. Laura looked shocked and gasped as she felt the cold blade of a knife pierce her skin.

"Bill," she cried weakly. As the man released her, she began to slump to the floor. Bill ran, throwing down the roses, and caught her awkwardly.

"Laura, it's going to be alright. Some call a medic! Now! And put him is restraints," he shouted as everyone stood shocked at the sight of their president lying on the floor of the Galactica, bleeding.

"I did it because of you, Adama! You caused me to lose my wife and family during the Exodus from New Caprica and now I took yours!" the man shouted as Lee and Anders pulled him away from the two.

"Get back!" came the voice of Doc Cottle. "Get back! How the frak do you expect me to save her if you all stand here in my way? Bill, listen to me. You're going to have to let go of her if you want me to help her," Cottle said pleading with Adama. He forced the Admiral away long enough to assess Laura's injuries before she began speaking again.

"Bill," came Laura's weak voice, "I love you more than words could explain." She began to cough a single trickle of blood came out of her mouth. "I want you to move on, be happy, find earth. Bill, please, these past few months have been wonderful. I love you." She choked before her breath became ragged and her heart stopped.

"Laura? Gods, NO, Laura!!" Bill cried as he held her in his arms. "Please no, why couldn't it have been me. Why?" he shed his tears on top of her head.

"Bill, there was nothing I could have done to save her. The knife did too much damage. I'm sorry, son, but she's really gone," Cottle said as he himself began to cry over the loss of the fleet's shimmering light.

"Damn, Jack. This shouldn't have happened, it should have been me. Where's the frak head that killed my wife?" he shouted, placing Laura's dead body on the floor.

"Dad, don't do this! His death isn't worth it. Dad!!!!" Lee shouted as Bill pulled Lee's gun out of his holster. He tackled the assassin to the ground and went to shoot him through the heart.

A shot reverberated through the hanger deck as Lee prevented his father from murdering the man.

"Dad, he said holding his father in his arms. Don't give the satisfaction of a humane death." Lee said as his father began to break down. 

"You frakker, you just killed my wife." But I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of dying. You're going to have to live the rest of your days knowing that you're never going to see your family ever again. Because when you do die you're not going to Elysian Fields, you're going to go to hell," Bill said as he pulled himself out of his son's embrace. He walked back over to Laura's body.

"Jack don't touch her, I'll do it." He said. He gentle bent down and picked up her limp body and proceeded to walk out of the reception room.

"Why do the gods have to frak with people? I'll never know." Cottle said before following him out. Lee watched them go and turned,

"Anders, take that frakker to see Tom Zarek. Have a nice life," Lee spat as Anders led the man through the crowd of heartbroken colonials. Lee knew as soon as Zarek had the man in custody, he'd be taking a walk out an airlock...

**End of flashback**  
"Laura Roslin-Adama was more than our leader. She was our hope. She carried that hope, no matter what we encountered. She never faltered. She made sure that humanity lived and promised that no matter what we've been through, that we would make it to earth. She loved every single one of us as much as humanly possible. Most of all, she loved my father without reservation or doubt. They loved each other completely and fully. Their love was something that doesn't happen everyday. It was truly magical," Lee Adama spoke at the memorial service that commemorated the death of Laura.

The crowd held candles and many prayed that Laura was watching over the fleet.

Admiral Adama listened to his son's words over the comm. He sat on the floor of their quarters, looking at the various sentimental notes and pictures kept in a box he had found two weeks after her death. Inside were pictures of Elosha, Billy and Maya. The one thing that puzzled him the most was the slip of paper with the Olymipic Carrier written on it. Lee told one day when they were talking about Laura that she kept it as a reminder of those who lost their lives. He had placed in the box the picture the child had given her on the day of her assassination and the picture Dee had taken of them. He began to pick up the pieces of his wife's life to put them back into the box when he noticed that the corner was beginning to peel apart. He gentle pulled and found an envelope hidden underneath.

He pulled it out and noticed that it had Bill written on top of it.

He opened it and read.

_Dear Bill,_

If you've found this letter then one of two things must have happened. You've been snooping in my stuff again and are going to pay for it when I found out or I've died. I guess your wondering what the president of the twelve colonies is doing with a shoebox full of letters of pictures and notes. Well when I lost the election I had no place to put the things that met so much to me while I was in office. The first thing I found was this box and as a result everything of importance goes into it. But this isn't what this letter is about. If I am dead you need to know that I never gave up hope that you weren't coming back for us on New Caprica. Life is short Bill, we both know this all too well. We both almost died but the gods somehow let us live. In my own crazy way I think they let us live so that we could find each other. I must admit I was surprised when you first kissed me but I knew that there was no way I could get away from Admiral William Adama. I love you and if I could make days last forever and If words could make wishes come true, I'd save every day like a treasure and I would spend them with you all over again. I've looked around long enough to know that you're the only one I want to go through time with. You've made every dream I've had come true and I couldn't wish for a more caring or loving husband to grow old with. I love you fully and deeply without reservations.

Your Wife,

Laura. 

Bill sat and reread the words of his dead wife. "No, Laura, if I could I would save time in a bottle and save every day I had with you till eternity passed away. I love you," he whispered into the darkness of his quarters and for a millisecond he could have sworn he heard Laura's voice saying, "I love you, too."

Fin…

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